Outlook Business Desk
Dubai authorities have handed down a landmark ruling in a visa fraud case, fining 161 individuals over AED 152 million and ordering deportation for violations of residency and labour laws.
In a major ruling, Dubai’s Citizenship and Residency Court has fined 161 individuals AED 152.24 million ($41.48 million) for serious breaches involving residency permits, business operations, and labour sponsorships, according to the Times of India.
Investigations found that the defendants shut down their businesses without updating employees visas and illegally traded residency permits for personal gain, impacting hundreds and breaching UAE immigration and labour laws.
Following the court verdict, Dubai authorities confirmed that all 161 convicted individuals will be deported after paying the fines.
Those involved breached UAE Labour Law (Federal Law No. 8 of 1980) by failing to regularise employee work and residency permits, highlighting serious violations of employer responsibilities and legal obligations.
Authorities highlighted that illegally issuing and selling residency visas was a systematic fraud, weakening the UAE’s immigration and labour systems and putting the rights and protections of sponsored employees at risk.
This case is part of an intensified UAE crackdown on residency and visa fraud. Authorities have repeatedly warned against illegal sponsorship, visa trading, or hiring without documentation, highlighting strict penalties for those violating immigration and labour laws.
In June, Dubai’s Citizenship and Residency Court convicted 21 individuals for large-scale residency visa fraud. Using 33 fake companies, they illegally issued 385 visas under sham employment contracts, leaving workers without legal protection once the firms were shut down.
Fines of AED 25.2 million were imposed on the 21 defendants, reaffirming the UAE’s zero-tolerance approach. These rulings demonstrate the government’s commitment to protecting migrant workers and maintaining integrity in immigration and labour systems.